Missing man located in rugged Placer County terrain

FORESTHILL, CA - Placer County Sheriff's Department and volunteer searchers located a Mississippi man who went missing in a remote area out of Foresthill on Sunday.

Lt. Jeffrey Ausnow said Melvin Nelson, 56, was spotted by ground searchers in an American River canyon Monday afternoon. Due to the ruggedness of the terrain, a helicopter was deployed to airlift Nelson.

Other than having mild hypothermia and back pain, Ausnow said Nelson was in good shape after a night spent in the mountains. Nelson was to be medically evacuated at an area hospital before being reunited with friends from Stockton he was visiting.

The area where Nelson was found was about one-quarter mile from where he was last seen, said authorities.

Ausnow said Nelson had gone hiking and panning for gold at a creek bed off Ponderosa Road Sunday. A female friend he was with said she last saw Nelson about 4 Sunday afternoon. After being unable to find him, the friend reported Nelson was missing to authorities about 10:30 p.m., Ausnow said.

The sheriff's department sent up a helicopter to look for Nelson without success Sunday night.